TEN things you should know about Arsenal signing Gervinho

Following the recent capture of Gervinho, we here at Gunnersphere thought it would only be right to give you guys a heads up on our newest recruit.

So, here are just 10 things you should know about Gervinho:

1. Gervinho was born on the 27th of May 1987 in Anyama. He is a versatile forward player able to play not only as a striker but as a winger as well

2. He began his career playing for ASEC Abidjan youth academy, this is where his nickname Gervinho came from – his full name is Gervais Yao Kouassi

3. His youth career spanned two clubs in 2002 – he moved to Toumodi FC, where Kolo Toure’s brother Ibrahim also started his career. He spent two years at Toumodi, where he turned professional.

4. It was in 2005 which saw him join K.S.K Beveren, where he linked up with Emmanuel Eboué. He spent two years at Beveren before making his move to Le Mans at the end of the 2006/07 season.

5. Rejoining former Beveren team-mate Romaric, Gervinho spent a further two years at Le Mans, scoring only 9 goals in 59 Ligue 1 appearances.

6. It was in November 2007 which saw Gervinho break in to the international scene for Ivory Coast, where he captained the Under-17 side. However, he didn’t make his full debut until 2008 in the African Cup of Nations.

7. Gervinho did manage to represent his country in the 2008 Olympics where he was captain for Ivory Coast. The forward managed to score 1 goal and made 2 assists in the game against Serbia. In the 2010 World cup, Gervinho only made 3 appearances all as a substitute. However, he still managed to score on two occasions in South Africa.

8. Despite what could only be described as a poor run of form at Le Mans, the forward joined Lille on the 21st of July 2009 for a reported fee of around £6 million. He signed a three-year deal with the Ligue 1 outfit. It was here where his career truly kicked off.

9. His first season at Lille saw him bag 13 goals in 32 appearances for the club.

10. In what was to be his final season at Lille, Gervinho made 42 appearances for the club, scoring 18 goals along the way, helping Lille win both the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France.

It is worth noting that this has brought his career total to 45 goals in 142 appearances before joining Arsenal. Thierry Henry had scored 31 goals in 161 appearances prior to joining the Gunners – just something to think about.